#REVIEW: “GOLD”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Gold follows the story of Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey), a down-on-his-luck prospector, who’s looking for a lucky break. One night he has a dream that he’s found a gold mine in Indonesia. When he wakes his life is consumed by this dream and he searches for someone to make it a reality. It’s not until he teams up with geologist Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramírez), who’s already searching for gold in the Indonesian jungle, that his dream comes true. But once Wells has got the gold he finds out that keeping it might be the biggest challenge of all.

Matthew McConaughey is great as Wells. He delivers an energy and intensity to this performance that is unlike any of his before. Making it impossible not to root for him. The weight McConaughey gained for the role is impressive, packing-on 50 lbs. But his performance, with or without the weight gain, is what carries the Film. The enthusiasm he has for Wells’ dream, the joy he has for attaining the dream, the cockiness he emanates as a millionaire, and the mix of shock and melancholy he shows when finding out it all may vanish — is impressive. The great performances don’t stop there. Edgar Ramírez plays Michael Acosta completely opposite of McConaughey’s Wells. He is quiet and secretive. It’s because of the way Ramírez plays Acosta that the ending of the Film works. And Bryce Dallas Howard plays Kay, Wells’ wife, with an equal amount of strength and vulnerability.

Gold is at its weakest in the beginning. It drags out and doesn’t have the energy the rest of the Film does. But by the time the gold is found the story kicks-off and the Film becomes very entertaining. It’s a story about the American Dream gone wrong, or does it? It will keep you guessing and make you want to know what is going to happen to Wells’ gold. And by the end of the Film audiences will be shocked to find out what exactly happened to Kenny Wells’ gold.

Overall, Gold is a Film that lives on the performance of its actors. And they don’t disappoint. The story is slow in the beginning but picks up speed in the middle and it ends on a high note.

Elevation Pictures release Gold Friday, January 27, 2017.